Breaking Bad Episode Title Meanings
This is where you can find the meanings of the title names of every episode. Season 1 Pilot - The name "Pilot" is typically used for the first episode of a television show. On most home video releases, the episode is alternatively titled "Breaking Bad," which of course references Walter White beginning to make meth or, as Jesse Pinkman puts it, "break bad" (Vince Gilligan defines the term as "to raise hell"). The Cat's In The Bag - This commonly means "I can keep the secret." The secret, in this case, being: 1) The cancer from Jesse and Skyler. 2) The deaths of Emilio Koyama and Domingo Gallardo "Krazy 8" Molina. ...and the Bag's in the River - 1) This episode concludes the crisis that began in "The Cat's In the Bag." 2) Walt stops keeping his cancer a secret. 3) "Cat's in the Bag...and the bag's in the river" is a quote from the film Sweet Smell of Success (1957), spoken in reassurance that a situation is being handled. Cancer Man - 1) Walter has cancer. 2) A reference to The X-Files (the show where Vince Gilligan made his big break), whose most recurring villain, the Cigarette-Smoking Man, was alternatively called "Cancer Man." This may also foreshadow Walter's own transition into a villain. Gray Matter - 1) The name of Elliott Schwartz's company. 2) Gray is a mixture of white (Walter's last name) and black (the English translation of Elliott's last name). 3) A type of brain tissue. 4) Emphasis on the show's gray morality. Crazy Handful of Nothin' - 1) A quote from the film Cool Hand Luke, paraphrased by Marie Schrader in reference to Walt's poker bluff. 2) May ironically reference Walt's handful of explosive mercury at the episode's climax. A No-Rough-Stuff-Type Deal - A quote from the film Fargo, referencing Walt's desire to avoid violence during his ventures in the drug business. In both stories, things indeed go wrong and lead to unwanted violence. Season 2 Seven Thirty-Seven - 1) $737,000 is how much Walter estimates he needs to secure his family's future. 2) This is the first of the four episodes with the pink teddy bear flashforwards, the titles of which combine to read "737 Down Over ABQ" ("737" refers to one of the planes that will crash in the Season 2 finale). Grilled - 1) Walt and Jesse are "grilled" (i.e. interrogated) by Tuco Salamanca. 2) "Grill" refers to Tuco's dental jewelry. 3) Tuco makes burritos on a grill. Bit by a Dead Bee - 1) A quote from the film To Have and Have Not, referencing Walt and Jesse being in jeopardy because of Tuco, who is dead. Down - 1) Walt and Jesse both spend the episode in metaphorically low conditions (Walt receiving cold treatment from Skyler, and Jesse being homeless). 2) This is the second of the four episodes with the pink teddy bear flashforwards, the titles of which combine to read "737 Down Over ABQ." Breakage - 1) Jesse uses the word in reference to Skinny Pete's incident. 2) Walt exceeds his usual self and breaks through to become a criminal. 3) Hank Schrader experiences mental breakdowns, stemming from his shootout with Tuco. Peekaboo - Jesse plays Peekaboo with the little boy at Spooge's house. Negro y Azul - 1) The name of the song performed in the opening teaser. 2) Spanish for "black and blue," a slang term for bruising or general pain. 3) The respective colors of Walt's hat and meth. Better Call Saul - The slogan of Saul Goodman, whom Walt and Jesse indeed call when Brandon "Badger" Mayhew is arrested. 4 Days Out - Walt and Jesse spend four days out in the desert. Over - 1) Walt plans to retire from the drug business. 2) This is the third of the four episodes with the pink teddy bear flashforwards, the titles of which combine to read "737 Down Over ABQ." Mandala - Circle of life—the episode begins with Christian "Combo" Ortega's death and ends with Skyler going into labor. Phoenix - 1) Phoenix is where Jane Margolis was born, as revealed in the next episode. 2) At the bar, Walt and Donald watch the Phoenix Lander land on Mars to gather water for making space fuel. 3) The Phoenix is a mythological creature capable of dying (by engulfing itself in flames) and being reborn from its own ashes. This mirrors the death of Jane and the birth of Walt's daughter Holly, albeit reversed. ABQ - 1) Short for Albuquerque. 2) This is the last of the four episodes with the pink teddy bear flashforwards, concluding (and fulfilling) the phrase "737 Down Over ABQ." Season 3 No Más - Spanish for "no more," representing Walt's desire to leave the meth business. Caballo Sin Nombre - 1) Spanish for "Horse With No Name," the song Walt sings at the beginning and end. 2) While arguing with the officer at the beginning, Walt says "This is America," the name of the band that wrote the song. I.F.T. - Short for "I fucked Ted," which Skyler says at the end of the episode. Green Light - 1) Gustavo Fring gives Walt the "green light" to start cooking again. 2) The episode symbolically ends with a green traffic light. Más - 1) Spanish for "more," representing Walt's return to the meth business. 2) May refer to Hank searching for more RVs. Sunset - Gus meets The Cousins at sunset, giving them his permission to kill Hank. One Minute - Moments before Hank's encounter with The Cousins, a voice-disguised Gus calls and tells him he has one minute before they arrive. I See You - 1) Leonel Salamanca recognizes Walter while lying in the hospital bed. 2) A play on words, as both Hank and Leonel are rushed to the I.C.U. Kafkaesque - The rehab clinic's group leader uses the word to describe Jesse's situation. Franz Kafka's stories often present a grotesque vision of the world in which individuals burdened with guilt, isolation, and anxiety make a futile search for personal salvation. Fly - The episode focuses on Walt and Jesse's attempts to kill a fly in the lab. Abiquiú - The episode opens with a flashback where Jesse and Jane look at a painting by Georgia O'Keeffe, who once resided in the town of Abiquiú. Its pronunciation is also very similar to that of "ABQ." Half Measures - Mike Ehrmantraut warns Walt against taking "half measures" (inadequate methods) to solve his problem with Jesse. Full Measure - Continuing from the previous episode, Walt and Jesse end up reaching a "full measure" in order to save their own lives. Season 4 Box Cutter - The episode opens with a flashback where Gale Boetticher uses a box cutter to unpack the meth lab equipment. Gus later uses the (presumably) same box cutter to kill Victor. Thirty-Eight Snub - Walt buys a .38, and practices killing Gus with it. Open House - 1) A subplot focuses on Marie going to open houses and stealing objects to get the stress off of her mind. 2) The party Jesse started an episode before is going on without him - his house is literally open to anybody, even and probably especially strangers. Bullet Points - 1) As Walter and Skyler prepare to act out a conversation in front of Marie and Hank, Skyler stresses for Walt to read the bullet points that she outlined. 2) Walt discusses the possibility that the DEA will be able to find Jesse from the prints on the bullet casings. 3) In the opening the Pollos Hermanos truck with Mike in it is under attack and gets lots of bullet holes. Shotgun - 1) Jesse sits in the passenger seat (riding shotgun) of Mike's car for most of the episode. 2) A man threatens Jesse with a shotgun, spurring his actions to become a hero. Cornered - 1) Skyler corners Walt with several questions, as well as incentive to give up Walter White Jr.'s car. 2) Skyler may feel cornered into leaving because of Walt's actions. 3) Skyler visits the Four Corners Monument. Problem Dog - Jesse tells his rehab group about a "problem dog" that he killed (when he's actually talking about killing Gale to save Walt). Hermanos - 1) "Los Pollos Hermanos" is the name of Gus' restaurant. 2) May imply that Max Arciniega and Gus are the brothers (good friends) of Los Pollos Hermanos, as "hermano" is Spanish for "brother." Bug - Walt bugs Jesse's car. Salud - Spanish for "cheers" or "health," depending on the context. Gus says it at Don Eladio Vuente's house, right before he poisons the cartel with his alcoholic gift. Crawl Space - At the end of the episode, Walt breaks down and laughs crazily in the house's crawl space. This may also symbolize the danger closing in on Walt. End Times - 1) A term commonly used to refer to times of imminent doom, apocalypse, or (in some faiths) transformation, all of which can apply to Walt's current predicament. 2) Saul uses the phrase as he tentatively says goodbye to Jesse. Face Off - 1) Walt and Gus' final confrontation. 2) Hector Salamanca looks Gus in the eyes for the first time in many years. 3) Part of Gus' face literally gets blown off. Season 5 Live Free or Die - 1) Refers to Walt's mentality about being out from under Gus' and the DEA's thumbs. 2) The official motto of New Hampshire, which is the state on Walt's fake ID in the flashforward. In the opening flashforward, the motto is seen on a license plate in the parking lot. Madrigal - 1) Madrigal Electromotive GmbH is introduced in this episode. 2) A "madrigal" is a type of poetic song performed by two or more people, unaccompanied by musical instruments. This refers to the new partnership between Walt, Jesse, and Mike without a boss figure intervening on their business. Hazard Pay - Refers to the payments that Mike must make to his imprisoned associates, buying their silence. This plot point is what Mike and Walt argue over at the end, and plays an important role in future episodes. Fifty-One - 1) Walt turns 51. 2) Symbolizes the changing of the balance between Walt and his "Heisenberg" alter ego. Dead Freight - 1) Commerce terminology for unused cargo space (or the amount owed back for it). 2) Walt and co. burgle a freight train for its methylamine. 3) Shortly after the robbery, Todd Alquist kills Drew Sharp. Buyout - 1) Jesse and Mike have a buyout. 2) Walt reveals that he had a paltry buyout from Gray Matter Technologies, which is largely what now motivates him to build his own empire. Say My Name - Walt uses the phrase as he meets Declan in the desert, forcing the latter to acknowledge him as Heisenberg. The episode's original title was "Everybody Wins," which is the exact line Walt said at the end of the previous episode. Gliding Over All - 1) A poem from Gale's favorite poet, Walt Whitman, whose book becomes a crucial plot device in this episode. 2) Walt's drug business glides over everyone. Blood Money - Jesse refuses to accept his share of the money that he and Walt gained from their meth empire, reminding Walt that he called it "blood money" (in the episode "Say My Name"). Buried - 1) Walt buries his money in the desert. 2) May ironically reference the fact that Walt and Skyler's secrets are no longer hidden, i.e. "buried." 3) Denotes Declan's underground cook lab (a buried bus). Confessions - 1) Walt records a (misleading) confession as part of his plan to make Hank back off. 2) Saul confesses to Jesse that he stole the ricin cigarette off of him (in the episode "End Times"). Rabid Dog - 1) Saul likens Jesse to a rabid dog (namely Old Yeller) that should be put down. Walt uses the actual phrase while arguing against the idea. 2) A possible reference to the episode "Problem Dog," with Jesse himself now the "dog" in question. To'hajiilee - To'hajiilee is the Native American reservation where Walt first cooked Crystal Meth with Jesse, it is also the site where Walt buried his money in the eponymous episode. Ozymandias - TBA Granite State - TBA Felina - - "Felina" is an anagram for "finale" Category:Symbolism